Home + Design

Above Main Street

A historic Weston apartment above Cactus Creek opens its doors Article and Photography by Jennifer Kirby There are places that hold stories in their walls. Not metaphorically, but literally in the stone and brick and wood of a building that has stood through more than a century and a half of American life.  The apartment above Cactus Creek on Main Street in Weston is one of those places. And now, for the first time, Tracy Smith is sharing it with the world. The building's story begins in the...

Life + Culture

Falling for Carolyn's

Three decades in, Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch is a Liberty family tradition Article by Reilly Atkins | Photography by Tom Funk Photos Nothing says fall quite like a trip to the pumpkin patch, but Carolyn’s Pumpkin Patch in Liberty might be the most fall of them all.  Carolyn Raasch started her pumpkin patch in 1991, setting aside 20 acres of her family’s farm for the endeavor. When the highway opened, it seemed like a great way to bring in extra revenue and have fall fun with her family. Today...

Home + Design

The Pumpkin Fairy

Meet the Northland nurse turned pumpkin stylist behind Mum & Gourd Article by Katie Currid For Monica Hiser, fall porch styling started as a long-distance experiment. During frequent visits to family in West Texas, a place where a fully dressed porch each October is practically expected, she started thinking, I'd love to do that. So she did. She styled her own porch first. Then neighbors started asking about it. Then family members. Then, of all people, her hairstylist looked at her and...

Entertainment

Back on Track

A community-funded expansion keeps the Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad running for another generation of Northland families Article by Reilly Atkins | Photography by Hannah Schreiner If you’ve ever driven out to Line Creek Community Center for ice skating or biking, you may have noticed something a bit unexpected: a miniature train. The Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad has been a staple for Northland families since it opened in 1992.  The journey began in 1985, when Kansas...

Event Planning + Services

Burros, Brunches, and a Little Bit of Magic

A Smithville farm is giving folks something to bray about Article and Photography by Jennifer Kirby There are some experiences that are hard to explain until you're standing in the middle of them. A field of miniature donkeys is one of those experiences. The moment you arrive at Bar None Burros in Smithville, Missouri, something shifts. Whatever you carried with you — the to-do lists, the screen time, the hurry — loosens its grip. And if you have kids in tow, you are about to witness something...

Arts + Culture

The Next Generation of Artists

Five Orange Easel students share what they love about making art Photography by Allison Jensen We love how kids see the world, and especially the things they create. We asked a handful of young artists of all ages from Orange Easel School of Art to tell us in their own words what they love to create, where their ideas come from, and what keeps them coming back to the easel.   Sofia Wells, 10 How long have you been coming to Orange Easel? 5.5 years What class(es) do you take at Orange...

Arts + Culture

Reel Connection

Screenland Armour in NKC brings back the magic of the movies with film showings Article by Reilly Atkins | Photography by Hannah Schreiner Think back to your earliest memories at the movie theatre. Do you remember the whirring of the film reels? The flickers of dancing light and imperfections on the screen? The anticipation of a changeover when you saw the cigarette burns in the corner? These once-familiar details were all part of the magic of movies projected on film. Today, it’s virtually...

Travel

Mounds of History

Cahokia Mounds, just east of St. Louis, reveals a prehistoric civilization more impressive than you'd expect Article by Diana Lambdin Meyer | Photography by Bruce N. Meyer The St. Louis Arch was visible in the distance, along with the distinct round shape of the old Stouffer’s hotel, and other buildings that make up the St. Louis skyline. Hidden by a dense, verdant tree line was the Mississippi River, separating those skyscrapers from the ancient one on which we stood. My husband and I had...

Travel

Points Well Taken

The KC Savvy Travelers help make family travel more affordable Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Courtesy of KC Savvy Travelers There's a question that Lauren English and Keri Haverland, two Kansas City-area teachers and moms, used to ask themselves every time a dream trip came to mind: how do people actually afford this? It wasn't for lack of trying. They saved when they could and still found that their teacher salaries couldn't stretch far enough to cover the kind of family travel...

Food + Beverage

Fifth and Emery

How Isaac Collins turned a dream into a Northland sweet spot Article by Reilly Atkins | Photography by Hannah Schreiner Chocolate and frozen yogurt may bring people together, but for Isaac Lee Collins, owner of Fifth & Emery, they changed his life. Isaac was born in East Kansas City and was a catalyst for his parents to leave destructive habits behind. They knew they needed to change their lives, not just for themselves, but for their new son. Isaac remembers a bit about his life in Kansas...